[Winning Gujarat is important for the BJP as Prime Minister Modi and party president Amit Shah both are from the state.]

New Delhi: Human rights activists on Friday approached the Election Commission after a video with communal overtones surfaced on the social media days before the state elections in Gujarat.

Calling the offending video as an attempt to “polarise citizens”, Human Rights Law Network (HRLN) has complained to the Election Commission and the police demanding that it should be banned immediately.

HRLN activist and lawyer Govind Parmar sent the complaint to the Election Commission and the Crime Branch through email, seeking action against the people who have made the video that can hurt sentiments of the minority community.

“The video shows people of the majority community being terrified of Muslims. It has been created to spread hatred against Muslims, and polarise the society,” Parmar said in his complaint.

“The video should be removed from the all social media platforms and action should be taken against all characters depicted in the video and its makers", he added.

“We have asked the Cyber Crime Cell unit of the Crime Branch and the Chief Election Commissioner to investigate the matter as the advertisement showing Muslims in a bad light", he says.

The 1.15-minute long video in Gujarati language, which has been widely circulated on social media, propagates that women are safe only under the BJP government.

The BJP is facing a strong anti-incumbency factor in the coming election to be held next month. Communal overtones have always helped the BJP win elections in the past.

Political analysts had earlier expressed fear that since the BJP leadership which of late is talking only about "development" and "vikas" may resort to aggressive communal and anti-Muslim politics since it is finding itself in trouble.

Winning Gujarat is important for the BJP as Prime Minister Modi and party president Amit Shah both are from the state.

Assembly elections in Gujarat are slated to be held in two phases on December 09 and 14, 2018. The counting of votes will be done on December 18.